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The Atlanta Braves have optioned Didier Fuentes and selected Martin Perez

The Atlanta Braves have had a solid start to the 2026 season. The Braves won each of their first two games of the season against the Kansas City Royals, but lost the third contest of the series by a 4-1 final score. However, the Braves still had a nice start to the season by winning two out of their first three games and will now be looking to build on that momentum during their upcoming three-game series against the Athletics.

The season may be young for the Braves, but they are already making some changes to their roster. The Braves made an announcement on Monday that they have selected a former All-Star pitcher to their major league roster and optioned one of their promising young pitchers to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Atlanta Braves Select Former All-Star Pitcher to Major League Roster

The Braves have announced that they have selected pitcher Martin Perez’s contract from Triple-A Gwinnett. With this, the 14-year veteran is set to join the Braves and give them another solid pitcher with experience to work with on their major league roster.

Perez appeared in 11 games during this past season with the Chicago White Sox, where he had a 1-6 record, a 3.54 ERA, and 44 strikeouts. This is after the 6-foot lefty had a 5-6 record, a 4.53 ERA, and 107 strikeouts split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres during the 2024 season.

Perez’s best season in the majors by far was during the 2022 season with the Texas Rangers. During that campaign, he had a 12-8 record, a 2.89 ERA, and a career-high 169 strikeouts. He was also named an All-Star during that season. The Braves will now be hoping that he can recapture some of that form for them after selecting him to their roster.

In 325 games over 14 major league seasons split between the Rangers, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Pirates, Padres, and White Sox, Perez has recorded a 91-93 record, a 4.41 ERA, and 1,153 strikeouts.

Atlanta Braves Option Pitcher Didier Fuentes to Triple-A Gwinnett

With Perez joining the major league club, the Braves needed to free up a spot on their active roster. With this, the Braves have optioned pitcher Didier Fuentes to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Fuentes made one appearance for the Braves this season before being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. During it, he allowed one earned run, one walk, and two hits in 4.0 innings pitched. He also had four strikeouts in the contest and finished the game with a 2.25 ERA.

Overall, Fuentes had a solid first appearance for the Braves this campaign but will now be looking to continue to grow his game in Triple-A following this transaction. The 20-year-old righty has good upside and certainly has the potential to get called back up to the Braves’ roster before the season is over.

Fuentes appeared in his first four major league games during the 2025 season with the Braves. Over his four starts, he had a 0-3 record, a 13.85 ERA, and 12 strikeouts. Down in the minors last season, he had a 1-7 record, a 4.58 ERA, and 71 strikeouts in 13 appearances split between Single-A+, Double-A, and Triple-A.

Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa